Letters From Remy LeBeau
by sweet-n-sassy928
Summary: Remy must leave the mansion to undo the past,leaving his new life and the only girl he's ever loved. As she develops a love/hate friendship with Pietro, Rogue clings to a series of love letters from Remy LeBeau- it might just be what keeps them together
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own X-Men Evolution  
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"What do you mean you have to go?" Rogue sat down on his bed, her brow furrowed. A sudden chill hugged her bones. He paced from his suitcase to his dresser, cramming wadded black t shirts in the brown rectangle. He couldn't look at her. Her mouth opened- and for a moment she even debated speaking- before shutting it again.

The brassy latch on the suitcase shut with a click; Remy closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Chere: his red eyes peered into hers. "If I didn't absolutely have to I wouldn't…"

"You mind telling me what's going on then?" she whispered, motionless.

"It's… complicated."

She absorbed the silence, a thin veil for the tension building inside her, building between them. She shook her head in small jagged motions and took long strides to the door.

"Chere," he said, grabbing her wrist. She turned to face him. She glared- her emerald green eyes burning at him.

"Don't you touch me Remy LeBeau." She ripped her wrist from his rough, consoling hand. Pushing down the tremors in her voice, her jaw clenched. "You lied to me." She bit her lower lip before he could see it quiver.

"Chere,"

"You promised me!" She burst. Her gloved hand crumpled into a shaking fist at her side.

Hot slick tears formed on the edges of her eyes; they swam along like dammed rivers. She willed them to stay there- but, her will failed. She masked the slip with anger, hoping he couldn't tell the difference. "You promised you wouldn't just up and leave on me and now suddenly you just want to go?"

"Chere," His voice, both comforting and pleading, stretched toward her.

"No." She said, clamping her eyes shut. "Now that we've gotten everything together?" Her false anger succumbed to the hurt, and the tears broke free.

"_Mon Cherie_," he cooed. He pulled her close, letting her cry in his chest. He stroked her auburn hair. He kissed the top of her head, cupped her face in his palms, and focused on her teary eyes. "I'm leaving _here_- I'm not leaving you."

"If you loved me you wouldn't do this," A dull pain stabbed in her chest, her voice coming out as a shaky whisper.

He picked up both her hands, brought them to his lips. Her pale face turned to the beige wall. His finger settled under her chin and brought her face back to his. In a smooth stoke, he wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her eyes roamed the room- the cherry desk in the corner, the round brass knob on the night stand, the lipstick stain on the window where she'd kissed the glass last week- everywhere but him. The air tightened; the tension tasted bitter and cold.

"Don't cry," he caught another drop on her porcelain face. His forehead tipped to hers "I'm always wit you chère, I-"

"Don't start Remy," _How can this be happening? _She snapped her eyes shut and shook her head. _How could Ah let this happen?_ "Ah'm not going to sit around and wait for you to break mah heart so-"

He dropped his lips to hers; and she lost herself for half a moment. "Do you love me?" He whispered, holding her shoulders. She nodded. "Den dat's it chère, love can conquer all things."

A weak, humorless chuckle escaped her lips.

"Do you trust me?"

She inhaled. And she nodded again.

"Do you want to stay with me?"

Another reluctant nod.

"Good. Cause I really want to stay with you." He kissed her again. "We will make dis work."

"How?"

He searched the room. "I'll write to you," he said. "As often as I can. Then you can keep dem, and it will be like I'm wit you all da time."

"Promise?" She said, looking at the toes of her clean black Converse.

"Promise." He kissed her forehead, then her soft parted lips. "Keep my room open for me." He kissed her again after pulling his stiff suitcase from the bed. "I'll be back for you. " He stepped away. "I love you Rogue, mon belle chèrie."

"Ah love you too."

He strode toward the door. She sat as still as the wooden desk beside her for a moment after the heavy cherry door clicked shut. Then the empty silence heavied. _What am Ah doing?_ She ran out the door, over the dark wood floor of the hall, and from the top of the staircase yelled "Wait!"

He stopped with his hand on the long brassy door handle to face her. Through the clear glass in the middle of the door, the cold night glistened and hushed. She ran the down the stairs, legs wobbling underneath her. She wrapped her gloved arms around him. Her lips drew to his, and she kissed him for a long time. "Promise you'll come back," She whispered, winded and teary. Her heart heaved in her chest as she stared up at him.

"I promise." He took her face in his hands for one last kiss. "I love you,"

"Ah love you too," she whispered to the closed dark wood door and left over night breeze, just a second too late.

And like that, he was gone.

**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed! Just as a note, this story is more serious than some of my other works (but, because I could not resist, there will be some dark/ sarcastic humor mixed in=)) I have been working on this story for a long time so updates should be consistent (note**: **I say _should_. I am only human.) **

**Hope you liked it! Please review!**

**S2 s-n-s**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not own X- Men Evolution.**

_Mon Chere,_

_Just got off the plane. Security about tackled the sense out of me for bringing my staff- but not to worry, Gambit's just fine. Louisiana is, well, it's great chère, like coming home. I'll have to bring you some time, under different circumstances._

_I already miss you. I don't know how long I'll be here, but I promise I'll be working as fast as I can to get back to you. I gotta go chèrie, all my love_

_-Remy E. LeBeau_

Remy stepped off the plane with his usual swagger. A blanket of humid air bludgeoned him from all sides. _Louisiana, nothing like it._ he tapped the condensed staff in his pocket, snickering- like security could really outwit the skilled thief.

He strolled through the crowded air port and scribbled down his first letter. _I should just go home now, I should just leave this alone once and for all and-_

A tall man, with long hair tied back with a rubber band waltzed up behind him.

"If it ain't da diable blanc." He said in a heavy accent. He turned a gold ring, its intricate engravings imprinted on his sweaty finger.

"Jean Luc." Remy said.

_**Elsewhere**_

24 hours after Remy walked away from the mansion, the team, and her, Rogue "casually" checked the mailbox- and she checked frequently.

"Uh, Rogue," Kitty said when she found Rogue drumming her fingers under the mailbox for the second day in a row. "The mail doesn't come till like, four." Kitty checked her cell. "It's only 11:30"

"Oh, right," Rogue blushed, jumping away from the black metal box like it had the plague.

But she couldn't help it: something just felt… _absent. _They'd been so… _together_, for the past few weeks; being without him just felt… _wrong._

She sat in bed, trying to read, trying to focus on something other than his absence. But her gut nudged at her- _something is wrong here, something is wrong here, something is really, really wrong here._ she smacked the copy of _As I Lay Dying_ on her bed; the frayed corners fluttered.

"He's not telling me something," she whispered.

"Uh, Rogue?" Kitty tip toed into their spacious room. She cautiously extended her hand. "The mails here and this like, came for you so-"

"Ah!" Rogue screamed with excitement. She snatched the crisp white envelope from Kitty's hand, making a conscience choice to abandon the worry in her gut. She tore the sticky flap, pulled out the paper contents. She unfolded the letter inside.

She read the single page over, and over, and over; she traced the messy letters with her dark green eyes. As she placed it back in its envelope, she pulled out one last token: an ace of hearts. She ran the tips of her fingers over the edges, then flipped it over.

In quick strokes of black Sharpie read:

"Cause you'll always have mine"

Kitty glanced at the card, then the envelope, then Rogue.

"Oh my gosh," Kitty squeaked at the dreamy smile on Rogue's face. "What did he say?"

"He's working on getting back." She said, placing the envelope on her oak desk.

"Oh my gosh," Kitty sighed. "This is like, so tragic romantic! It's like, totally adorable."

Rogue blushed. She slid the letter down the desk so it rested under her black duel picture frame: on the left, Remy rested his chin on her head; on the right, the two remained locked in a permanent kiss. She sighed at the black and white photographs. His goofy grin far outdid her shy smile.

"You guys are so cute!" Kitty shrieked.

Rogue nodded, somber. A few months ago and she would have scoffed in her face- now look at her. The ace twirled her hands.

**A/N: Sorry for lagging on the update (also sorry that it was so short!)! With school starting and everything, life has just been kind of crazy! Hope you enjoyed! Review! Please! It's my birthday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I do not own X-Men Evolution**

_Mon Chere,_

_Good morning, or afternoon, or evening- whenever you happen to be reading this. I know it's been a few days, forgive Remy- had a lot going on out here and such. But I never stop thinking about you chère, never._

_I woke up real early this morning. Early enough to see the sun rise- I know your heart probably skipped a beat, but yes, it's true, I was up that early. It was almost perfect, except that mon amor was not there. It was almost as pretty as you. Almost, but not quite;) Now don't go laughing saying I'm frilly or I've gone soft. You don't have to be a softy to appreciate beauty. Lord knows I appreciate you._

_I miss you all the time chère. Hope you are keeping my heart safe. I love you._

_-Remy E. LeBeau_

Rogue clutched the letter in her soft pale hands. It crinkled slightly in her hand. A wave of that _something isn't right_ feeling lilted her insides. She brought the letter to her lips, leaving a glossy pinkish stain on the top left corner.

It had only been a few days- just a few- but she missed him.

She reviewed her slouchy appearance in the mirror: a white v-neck hung loosely to her shoulders, black yoga pants (with the little part that folded over a hot pink color) clung to her hips. Not exactly spectacular. _Really_ not spectacular when all she'd worn that week was sweats.

"There's no one to impress," she mumbled when Kitty gave her the 'are you seriously wearing that?' look. She folded her laundry, the scent of Tide, original, wafted up at her. Neat piles of sweats sat next to freshly dried pairs.

Kitty rolled her eyes.

Rogue gazed up at the black and white photos, a still reminder of what she lacked. "Kit,"

"Yes?" Kitty murmured, folding her own laundry.

"How do you feel…" She met Kitty's blue eyes "About gut feelings?"

"What's that one cliché or whatever?" Kitty stared at the ceiling, snapping her fingers to bring about the correct trite expression. "Go with your gut!" Her slender finger pointed to Rogue when it came to her.

"What if your gut is telling you something you don't want to hear?" Rogue bit her lower lip.

Kitty crinkled her brows. "Like?"

"Like-"

A wail echoed from the siren down the hall. Their attention went to the door.

"Nevermind." Rogue said as they set off at a run. "See, it's a good thing Ah wore this- it's going to be a pain in the butt for you to change."

"Oh ha-ha." Kitty pulled out her gold floral earring and sighed at her light wash almost too tight skinny jeans.

_**The Mall**_

"What's your guy's deal with like, terrorizing people?" Kitty yelled at the collection of Brotherhood members. "This is _the mall_. You're defiling it."

Rogue rolled her eyes. _You would Kitty, you would. _Black gloves peeled off her pale hands; she, disgruntled that her _Black Cherry _nail polish had already chipped.

Terrified civilians screamed and ran around like adolescent geeks that just found out Justin Bieber was assassinated.

A smirk approached Rogue's face. _At least Scott and Jean aren't here to make us play by the rules._ But then she got an eyeful of Bobby trying to pick up on some leggy ginger. _On the downside, we have Bobby._

"We're just trying to have a little fun." Lance said with a mean spirited smirk.

Kitty stepped back. Rogue rolled up a tight fist. "Can we just cut to the stupid rock pun? Or are we gonna have to drag this out?" Chaotic crowds of people continued to cause a panic induced riot. Her jaw clenched; she really did not have patience for this.

"Mind your own business Rogue." Lance snapped.

"Uh, she's mah teammate. Her business is mah business." Rogue lunged a bit, in preparation for the sure to come earthquake.

"He asked you to stay out of this skunky," Pietro said. She glared at him. "Tell you what," he continued, a cocky glint in his eyes. "Blobs in a food comma and Wanda's on a date with John-" (had Rogue not been so irritated, she might have smirked. She should have known- Wanda never would have stood for this nonsense. "Three of us, three of you. What do you say we break this up?"

"Fahn," Rogue spat. "Dibs on kicking Lance's sorry can. Kitty, handle speedy. Bobby! Make yourself useful and babysit frog legs!"

"Eh," Pietro shrugged. He zoomed forward, knocking her over then zooming back. "That's not the plan. Lance and Kitten have a little unfinished business." A cold snicker parted his annoying smirk. "So it looks like it's you and me." He ran in circles around her; she ended up on her butt more times than she cared to. Done with games, she kicked her leg out. He tripped into a face plant.

Kitty and Lance didn't physically fight so much as they verbally abused each other.

Quicksilver rushed toward Rogue. He blocked her left hook; they lunged at each other (Rogue, ready to kick the crap out of him, just for the fun of it). They matched each other's force- him, holding her by the wrists. Her eyes narrowed.

"Don't you feel bad trying to hit a girl?" She snapped.

"Eh," he shrugged. "You can handle yourself."

She glared at him- despite the almost semi-compliment.

"What are you even doing here?" She examined the mall. Yes they were general nuisances but there was no definite damage: no explosions, no earthquake induced cracks in the tile, not even a germy silver drinking fountain off its hinges.

"That," He nodded toward the quarrelsome ex-couple. They yelled at each other and Kitty had that 'I'm not going to let him see me cry' face.

Rogue scoffed at the shameless endeavor. If Lance wanted to make Kitty miserable, he really didn't need to go through all this nonsense- he could just call her up (like she _really _wouldn't pick up for him). The nerve! He was fairly disliked before but now she all out just wanted him to go die in a hole.

Rogue X-ed her arms and flipped Pietro to the grey tile floor. Her foot pressed down on his chest, securing him to the floor. "Listen you pathetic little jerk," she poked him in the chest. "I don't have time for your stupidity and neither does she." She stood, grabbing a slimy Bobby and a flustered Kitty by the wrists. "We're going."

Rogue fumed. _Stupid, cocky, annoying, obnoxious motor mouth. Whatever happened to manners?_

* * *

><p>Remy pondered the same thing, after he wrote the second letter. He glowered in the overstuffed, slightly too small crimson arm chair. <em>I got up before sunrise, for him to be late? Now that just ain't right.<em> He, grumpy red eyes, mouth in a straight line, drummed his fingers on the hard arm of his strange seat. That '_Just leave! Now!_' feeling descended on him again. He was about to sneak out when-

"Mr. Bordeaux will see you now." A petite brunette in a structured, all black suit said in a clean soprano voice. She had crisp, sharp features- sort of pretty, in a pointy sort of way.

"Thank you," He tipped an imaginary hat.

_Time to make a miracle_, he discretely crossed himself.

**A/N: Hello again! Hope you guys enjoyed this week's update! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do not own X-Men Evolution**

_Mon chère, _

_I'm afraid I'm going to be here longer than I hoped. There's just too much going on, and a resent set back that will serve to make things a little bit more… difficult. I'm sorry. I will explain everything when the time is right. For now, please don't worry, and trust me._

_You are on my mind all the time. Always. How are you Cherie? Really, how are you? Put a man's troubled mind at ease. Let me know you are alright._

_I'm working hard to get home. Take care of yourself (Remy knows you always do). I love you._

_-Remy E. LeBeau_

Remy, back as rigid as the staff in his pocket, sat in a heavy oak chair, at the far end of a dong, dark wood dining table. He folded his hands, resting them on the top of the ridiculous table. He forced himself to relax- not wanting to send the message that he felt inferior or timid in any way.

Mr. Bordeaux, in the shadows atop a grand, antique throne of a chair, watched Remy through the darkness. An open smirk came to his face.

"I understand you want to back out of our arrangement?"

"You understood correctly," In a blatant exercise of lacking fear for authority, Remy pulled out a deck of cards and shuffled.

"Well understand this," the elderly man chuckled, "The arrangement stands." His fingers drummed together. Still, dark tension swelled between the two.

"Dere must be something can be done," Remy said with a matching smirk- the great thing about playing cards all the time- you learn how to bluff.

"The arrangement stands." Bordeaux gestured to the door.

_**Elsewhere**_

Rogue sighed. She shut her eyes for a long, long time. The letter in her palm found its place on the desk with the others- _longer than he'd hoped?_ His ridiculous, annoying, loveable smirk flashed in her mind; shudders jolted through her, removing the thought from her mind.

Kitty, her blue eyes misty, sulked in the bed across from Rogue.

"Kitty," Rogue placed a black gloved hand on her friend's shoulder. "It was awhile ago. Sit in bed much longer and you'll get bed sores." She finished with a half somber smile. "Ah thought you were starting to start to talk to Piotr anyway?"

Kitty groaned. "Well, like, yeah- but we aren't like serious and like-" she exhaled. "I don't know- no matter what, Lance just finds a way to get under my skin. I can't get away from him."

"Ah know what you mean," Voice dwindling, the photos on her desk gazed back at her. Her hand went over her lips- it seemed like forever ago.

A frown, a different frown, clouded Kitty's face. "He'll be back before you know it," she sat up. "Like, if I know anything about him, it's that he's like, totally crazy about you. He's probably totally missing you too."

"Yeah," Choking down that weary, _something isn't right_ feeling, she looked back at Kitty. "Ah think Ah'm going to get some air."

Head churning, she wandered through the garden- a sea of roses and chrysanthemums and lavender that Storm kept thriving year round. Rogue settled on a stone bench; bees hummed, the breeze brushed through heavy leaves. She inhaled- like taking in a light perfume. Light danced on the vivid rainbow of flowers, trees, and stones. This was the place: the place he'd first won her over.

So she was being a bit dramatic- it _had_ only been a short time since he had left. But he was so much a part of her, even when he didn't know he could touch her, he was not afraid- he was the _only _one who wasn't afraid.

The memories came in snapshots- his relaxed smile, draping his coat over her, tucking a white rose behind her ear.

"_I'm not scared chère," he reached toward her cheek. She recoiled. "Alright," he raised his hands, palms up, "Whenever you're ready,"_

And when he'd been content to just sit with her, just to talk or listen or whatever _she_ wanted, she knew: he was real- completely sincere in his pursuance of her as she was; so she let go. Admitting the feelings were returned was easier than expected. But then, he never ceased to surprise her.

"What are you doing Remy LeBeau…" Full reality hit her with such a strong wave of pain, she tilted her head back to keep isolated tears in their place. He was keeping something from her. _Her_. _Shoulda known_, a hollow breath expanded in her chest. _This is what Ah get for letting him in_.

Back in her room, she picked up an eggplant pen and a thick piece of ivory stationary, as with every letter before.

_My dear Remy LeBeau,_

_Good lord sugar. I miss you. It's like you're everywhere and nowhere. I miss everything about you. Now don't go getting a big head- it's just 'because I'm so used to you being here and bugging me all the time! (I'm just playing. Mostly. Okay, I am just teasing)_

_I'm fine honey. And yes, I'm taking care of myself. Just please get home soon. Be safe and careful and all that stuff I know you normally don't really think about. I love you Remy- please, please, please try to remember that while you're out there._

_-Rogue._

But she couldn't conjure the audacity to tell him the truth- he'd already done damage, she just loved him too much to say it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do not own X-Men Evolution**

_Mon Chere,_

_I have to take you here. I've said it before but I mean it. The food in itself is reason enough- if you ever want to get away from that burnt celery chinchilla food Princess Jean is always serving and have a little flavor, you just say the word and we're gone. Well, once I get back anyway. I'm never that far mon amor, no matter how away I seem, I'm with you._

_I know, I remember all the time. I love you too, and I'm keeping my promises every day. You can trust me- didn't I promise that?_

_I'm glad you're well- stay that way._

_-Remy E. LeBeau_

"Why do we even have these stupid meetings?" Rogue murmured as she pecked at her onyx nail polish. Her tattered cuticles burned a tomato red- she really had to relax on that note.

Kitty looked up, oblivious, averting her eyes from her own gnarled nail beds. "Yeah," she whispered.

The professor observed the teens, his finger tips touching to make a tent, from the front of the room; Bobby spit water in the air and froze it, Kurt poofed to various clicks, Jubilee sent tiny sparkles up in the air, Piotr Rasputin (quiet, calm, and alone) sat in the corner, waiting to listen.

Rogue, bored out of her mind, exhausted from missing sleep, out of focus, sighed, counted ceiling tiles. _Ah just want to go to mah room_. She'd taken up reading like a fiend- she found it a healthier addiction than obsessive facebooking or playing sulky love songs on repeat (at least reading nurtured her mind). This week she burned through _Hamlet_ and _To Kill a Mockingbird_. She crossed her long, black-skinny-jean covered legs. _Let's get a move on._

"Students," the professor held a hand; chaos subsided, silence ensued. "I have an announcement."

_Didn't see that coming._ Rogue rolled her eyes, not bothering to guard the sarcastic thought.

"Be prepared," the prof folded his hands "I understand some of you may be skeptical, perhaps even hostile over what I am about to tell you,"

_Just get on with it!_ Rogue, patience drifting from her, wiggled her foot, jiggling the desk. She drummed her fingers on the side of her maroon and black chair. She zoned out to reminisce on the lovely, yet unattainable, attributes of Atticus Finch.

"In light of Mystique's current quarrel with Magneto, we have some new additions," he gestured toward the door.

From behind the double door, in line with the center aisle, Pietro, Lance, and Toad waltzed forward- each with an obnoxious smirk.

Rogue snapped to attention, along with everyone else who had been half asleep. Kitty's mouth dropped. Scott jumped to his feet, fists and teeth clenched.

"Professor!"

_It's alright, everyone_. The prof sent out a general telepathic message- _I sense no ill intent, they mean no harm_.

Pietro and Lance looked over their shoulders, thick insidious smiles on their faces, at Rogue and Kitty. Kitty's eyes dropped to the floor. When the two snickered, Rogue envisioned herself having a conniption and telling them just where they could take those cocky grins.

Instead, she grabbed Kitty's hand and stomped to the exit- no 'May Ah please excused', no goodbye, not even a 'drop dead'. For Kitty's sake, she kept things simple.

"Don't let him see it bothers you, Kit," Rogue licked the side of her pecan praline ice cream cone. The cardinal and white overhang fluttered in the breeze above them. Gold acrylic paint spelled out _Kelly's Creamery _in old fashion cursive on the clean glass window. "That's why he does it."

They booked from the meeting hall to Rogue's green Jetta, ignoring everyone who complained that the meeting wasn't over.

A line of melted mint- fudge brownie dribbled in a light green squiggle down Kitty's hand. She swabbed it up with a papery brown napkin. "I know but like, that's totally low ya know?" She hastened in eating the melting ice cream.

"You should tell him to go-"

"Rogue!"

Rogue scowled. Who did they think they were? Honestly. She couldn't decide who was worse: Lance, with his annoying earthquake puns, or Pietro with his cock self assured mouth. Toad was just gross.

And then- in the midst of her angry brooding and hostility- memory caught her by unwilling finger tips. This where they took the picture- the one with the goofy smile of his. _They got da best ice cream in the world Chere_.

Pecan praline was his favorite.

She dropped the half empty cone on the wrought iron table top like it had turned to acid in her hand.

"What?" Kitty examined the abandoned cone.

"Nothing," She scooped it up and trashed it, snapped back by painful nostalgia. "We should kick Lance's skinny-"

"Rogue!"

"Ah'm being figurative!" She imagined the vast walls of the danger room. "Sort of." It was legitimate if the authority _encouraged_ them to hurt each other, right?

**A/N: Hello everybody=) I'm really sorry for lagging on the updates- life has just been a little bit hectic! It happens! I'll try to get it going a little faster! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I do not own X-Men Evolution**

_Mon Chere,_

_Ten things Remy loves about Rogue:_

_1) She is the most belle mademoiselle in the world_

_2) When she smiles, I feel like i have done something right in my life._

_3) Her dark sense of humor (and other sarcastic notions, that are sometimes cruel but always amusing)_

_4) The southern twang in her voice_

_5) She's tough- none of this "damsel in distress nonsense; she doesn't let people get over on her_

_6) That she secretly loves LOTR_

_7) That she would rather spend hours analyzing The Great Gatsby, than gossip about some frivolous article in People._

_8) She makes the best Red Velvet cake Remy's ever tasted_

_9) She is willing to overlook all the things I've been, and loves me for what I'm trying to be_

_10) That this list could go on forever, and I wouldn't be able to write down everything I love about her_

_All my love_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

Rogue rested her head on the cool, tilted fake wood of her history desk. _This is ridiculous_. The thin red hand on the clock dragged- like it was snagging over every single black dash along the rim. She heaved a suppressed sigh. Not that the industrialization of the US wasn't totally fascinating and all, but really, could anyone focus in this sticky, oppressive heat beating down from nowhere?

"Rogue?" Mr. Hoyt patted his hand on her desk. He looked down his nose through the thick lenses of his wire rimmed glasses. His short silvery hair stood straight on his head. "Would you care to join us?"

"Yes?" Initially, she sat up- but slouched (just so it was clear she wasn't willfully submitting to his request). It could be worse though- she could be sitting with Kitty in Pre- Calc (*shudder* no thank you).

More babbling about textiles- joy. in the midst of remembering child labor laws, the door, a heavy gray slab on the far end of a bland beige room, creaked open. His white hair in perfect place, brown t-shirt and jeans just so, he swaggered up to the front of the class like he had just bought the place. He winked at the reflective round handles on the cabinets. Rogue's blueberry muffin almost crawled back up her throat. Wow- and not the good kind. He handed Mr. Hoyt a rumpled square of mint green paper.

"Class," Hoyt returned to scribbling in neon red Expo on the dusty white board. "We have a new student, for the rest of the semester." He tapped the pen down for an enthusiastic period. "Pietro, take a seat."

_Not here._ Rogue's green eyes through daggers at the speedster. She folded her arms across her chest, daring him to take the vacant chair next to her. Empty slots littered the room- he could take one of those.

But he strolled up with that cocky, defiant glint in his eye- relishing the opportunity to stay where he wasn't wanted. "Okay if i sit here?" He asked, his obnoxious self already in the chair.

"Yes." Translation: You better find somewhere else to sit. She leaned her shoulder forward, just enough so that her back faced him. Comfortable? No. Getting the point across? Yes.

"Ouch Rogue." He leaned abnormally close. "You know, I'm kind of getting the feeling you don't like me very much."

"What ever gave you that idea?" she took a gloved hand to his forehead and pushed him away like he could have had a V8. "Personal space motor mouth." She chuckled inwardly, in no way letting him think he was the one that amused her.

Pietro laid his forearm on the desk, resting his cheek on his fist, observing her.

"What are you looking at?" She scoffed.

"Nothing," he shrugged.

The bell rang. "Yes!" She muttered, snatching her black purse and worn white binder from under her seat. She would have said 'saved by the bell' if it wasn't so trite.

* * *

><p>Rogue twiddled her thumbs- a commonly occurring event the past few days. There was just nothing to do: nothing.<p>

She gazed out the glossy window, into the lush garden. Memories splintered back.

_"Are you scared?" His red and black eyes playful, but serious._

_"Of?" She stared into the rich black earth under her._

_"Me." He said._

_She opened her mouth, surprised he would be so blunt- but then, this was Remy, who never failed to go in the opposite direction of shy. She was more surprised that she was about to be "Yes." honest. "You don't have a great record." She said defensively._

_"Can't say Remy blames you," he said. "But you don't have to be Chere- I'd change the rules for you."_

She winced. How could he talk to her like that and be anywhere but here? She reached in her closet and pulled out his black t-shirt. She paired it with gray shorts and laid staring up at the ceiling. _Something is wrong_.

**A/N: Just when you thought I was a total good for nothing... I update. lol. I know I have beyond lagged it. I blame school. But there really is no excuse. What can I say? I'm sorry!** **I'm going on a break soon, so I should get better! Thanks for reading! Again, I'm really sorry about taking forever to update.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I do not own X-Men Evolution**

_Mon Chere,_

_I won't lie to you Rogue- I'm going to be here a while. But I am coming back to you- I promise. I know it's already been too long. I knew it would be long. I guess what I'm getting at is don't be discouraged. Save my space Chere. Wait for me. Don't give up on me, and don't be afraid._

_I keep your picture, in my pocket- the one I took of you in the garden, when you didn't know I was photographing you, and you said I was a stalker. That one. I keep it with me all the time. I don't doubt it's the best photograph ever taken- some art nerd like Pete might argue that it's armature or some nonsense like that. But I stand by it._

_I love you Chere_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

"Bella," He said in an overly calm tone. He gripped the white trim on the fluffy pink ottoman under him. "I've been trying to get a hold of you and-"

"You can get a hold of me any time you like Remy." She dragged a slender, pastel pink, manicured nail under his chin.

"Bell," he said sternly.

"I said no." She said, with a bratty defiance that would impress the most troublesome of toddlers. A swirl of buttery blond hair twirled in her fingers. "I just don't understand it Remy." Composure returned to her. "Is there something wrong with me?" Her enormous aqua eyes batted together.

_More than you know_. "Please Bell." He said, relaxing his shoulders, though his jaw was clenched. "All you have to do-"

"I said no!" She threw a white ceramic jewelry box (missing his head by a fraction of an inch); painted red and yellow roses shattered as the octagon slammed into the wall. "You get out of here this instant Remy LeBeau. I don't want to hear another word." She inhaled a cool, shaky breath. "Next time, I won't miss."

With a snap of her dainty fingers, Remy was escorted out by a six foot six body guard, with dark skin and pitch black Ray Bans.

Remy paced down the street. _Well that went… as badly as expected._ His pocket lured down his hand, where her bent, worn, well loved photograph lived against his heart. Her pale, happy face filled his thoughts. He memorized that shot, a long time ago, though he couldn't stop checking on it. Keeping it was a small comfort. He had to make this work. He just did.

Rogue curled up in his bed. She pressed her face in his pillow- his scent lingered along the crisp linen. His room was tidy, uncluttered, plain- not very extravagant for a self acclaimed "master thief". Except for a sparkly pink picture frame, with a daisy in the corner, and a picture of him shrugging, and her sticking her tongue out.

"_It's a gag gift." She chuckled. He raised his eyebrows. "Ah better see it in your room."_

"_I shall treasure it always." He chuckled._

She'd meant it as a joke… but there it was.

The soft cream rectangle absorbed her face.

She was lonely.

And bored.

So she came in here- to hide from Kitty, who was dancing around in Pete's sweatshirt like a seventh grader, and Jean who was rattling on, and on, and on about her engagement, and Tabby and her clan of bitter gossiping snobs. It was totally emo but-

_Rogue?_ Jean's telepathic voice disrupted her thoughts. _Rogue are you okay? Are you coming down for dinner?_

_Yeah. Be there in a sec._ She grumbled mentally.

Of course she was the last one at the table. The single slot left was the one next to Bobby and an empty seat. She would have taken the seat next to Kitty, but things were awkward enough.

She stared at her cream colored plate, with its gold edges, etched from constant use.

"Ahhh!" She jumped when she realized the empty seat next to her was no longer quite so empty.

"Surprise." Pietro winked.

"Ah think Ah lost my appetite." Not that she had much of one in the first place. She pushed away from the table. He held her seat.

"Where you goin?"

Her glare sired at him. "For someone with super speed, you show up awful late."

"Eh." He shrugged.

She stabbed at her chicken. Silence. Annoyed silence. Though the rest of the mutants chattered, she couldn't have heard more silence. Pietro was itching to say something though- tense, awkward posture, constant glances at her, slow eating.

"What?" She snapped.

"Nothing." He looked her up and down. "I was just wondering- how someone like _Gambit_ would go for someone like you." Casually, he stuffed a pile of potatoes in his mouth.

Rogue grabbed Bobby's lemonade and threw it in his face. ("Hey!" Bobby protested, as his beverage splattered everywhere.)

Complete silence.

Her chair scraped against the hardwood floor. She stomped, up the stairs, down the hall, into her room.

"Wow." Bobby, of course, killed the silence.

Pietro swabbed at the yellow, acidy fluid- even super speed couldn't save him from that. Everyone stared.

"What did you do to her?" Kitty snapped, brushing past him.

"Rogue,"

A tap sounded at the door. Kitty phased through, in spite of the lock.

For a moment, they sat in the dark, and in the quiet.

"Ah miss him Kit."

"I know." Kitty sighed. "But- at least- I'm sure he misses you more." Breaking all the rules of their friendship, she crossed the room to offer her Goth friend a hug.

"Thanks Kitty."

"It's what I'm here for."

**A/N: Well… I… Um… okay, so I have no excuse for lagging on this update. All I can say… is that I'm really sorry. Really really sorry.**

**In any case, I hope this update wasn't **_**too**_** awful. Please review! Please! It's a good motivator! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So... I think now that Wolvie's Winter Wonderland is done I'm going to get back to this story (I'm going back to school thought, so there's a good chance I will be as unreliable as ever=/ Sorry! At least I'm finishing it, right?)**

**Many thanks to those who reviewed in spite of the can thank "Guest" and Wolfskater for this stories return.  
><strong>

**Oh! And I don't own X-Men Evolution.**

_Mon chere,_

_I had a beignet for the first time in years, and let me tell you- it was quite the reunion. I could have cried (except Remy doesn't do that). Know what I really miss the taste of? That strawberry vanilla lip balm you always wear. I'm counting the days._

_I know this all seems sketchy right now. But it will be alright. I will explain everything when it's all taken care of._

_All my love,_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

Remy, slouched in a silver chair (far too small for him) in the back of the cream and pink sparkly room- it reminded him of the white chocolate strawberry on top of the white strawberry cake. he hated strawberry filling. It was unnatural.

"Bella, don't people usually wait until the end for this kind of nonsense?" To be honest, he had no idea what the order of this 'nonsense' was supposed to be. None. But he really didn't feel like being there at the moment. He scanned the bakery- a cream table with pink satin bows, a spread of cakes with varied icings and fillings, silver cursive on the pink wall: _Carly's Cakes_.

"Oh Remy-kins!" She shrieked, laughing at his naivety. "It's never too early!" She held out a fork with a jagged rectangle topped with caramel colored frosting. "Try the pecan praline darling." She held it at his lips.

He turned his face. She scowled.

"Remy," she twirled her hair "You want out of this arrangement, right?"

"Yes," his brow raised.

"And I want my grandaddy to be happy, right?"

"Right," he squinted at her.

"Well if we're ever going to reach an agreement, you're going to have to play along for a little while." She hissed through a pageant queen smile. The fork jutted forward; he reluctantly opened his mouth.

"Welllll?" She grinned.

He swallowed. "It's dry." Whether it was or not, he just wanted to piss her off.

"Oh! Remy LeBeau there's just no pleasing you!" She slammed the fork on the table and stormed out.

The attendant in her baby pink apron, brown eyes the size of silver dollars, stood stunned.

Remy reached for the praline cake (okay, so it wasn't really dry). He leaned back, looked up at the ceiling, savoring the bite. He looked at the shocked baker (she was currently watching out the window, staring at Belladonna throwing a tantrum).

"Mind getting me a slice of red velvet? It's my favorite petite." He grinned at her. She looked at him, then Bella, then back at him. "Don't mind Bella. She does this all the time," he dismissed the behavior with a wave. "Do you guys do beignets here too?"

The short brunette nodded and strided out the door.

He grinned. This wasn't all bad. Bella was ticked; he was getting his desserts. Red velvet trumps all things.

* * *

><p>Rogue giggled over the batter- a thick, crimson half liquid. Kitty dipped her finger in the red goo.<p>

"Oh Duncan, you really are the perfect man!" She faked a swoon over the famous box mix label. Rogue might have preferred to bake the cake from scratch- but she was trying to teach Kitty how to make baked goods that were actually _edible_. And that meant baby steps.

"Ew. Kitty. There's raw egg in that."

Kitty shrugged, ladling batter into pink, aqua, and canary yellow baking cups. Rogue laughed, happy they'd taken a girls day. Even if a few months ago the very phrase _girls day_ would make her ill. It didn't matter. Red velvet was her favorite.

"_Oh sugar. Oh honey, honey,_" Kitty started to sing. She skipped around like a goofball and sucked Rogue into her goofiness.

Until Lance and Pietro stalked in.

"Wow." They scoffed, snickering.

"Why don't the two of you just move back to the trash heap you came from?" Rogue folded her arms.

Pietro ran into Rogue's personal space. "What are you going to do about Rogue? Through Bobby's backwash in my face?"

She resisted the urge to smack him across the jaw. Her fist clenched. Leaning forward, she asserted her refusal to be intimidated. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

He snickered. "Maybe you're just pretty." he smirked at the light rosy color that spread over her cheeks. Her face- her eyes, mouth, jaw- hardened, but the blush gave it away: she was worse than offended or nervous. She was embarrassed and nervously, resentfully, fearfully flattered. He sped back to Lance. "See you around Rogue."

The swaggered out of the kitchen.

"I hate him." Rogue hissed.

Kitty bit her lower lip. _That was awkward._

"He's so stupid and arrogant and obnoxious." Rogue ranted.

Kitty searched the room for something to say. "He was probably serious."

"What?" Rogue popped a hip out.

"Well aside from the fact that you are pretty," Kitty rolled her eyes like this was painfully obvious, then turned her gaze to her gold sandals. "It's like, how when you're six people say you tease the people you like..."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh-kay." Kitty rolled her eyes. "Cup cakes are done."

Rogue smiled. Red velvet= cure all. They piled on cream cheese frosting and devoured the cakes. Miracles happen: Kitty baked something that didn't resemble charred concrete. And for a few minutes, she didn't think about how much she missed him.

**A/N: Okay, so there it is. Another update soon (I think) (and yes, I gave up on the accents. They slow me down when I'm typing=/)**

**If you have liked this story at all or have any faith in it, and you happen to have a few seconds to spare, a review would be nice. You know, for motivational purposes. Please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Timely update? Crazy, isn't it?**

**KurrtyKietroLover- yes my dear, you are in fact the guest of whom I speak=) thanks for the kind word (and the metaphorical kick in the butt to get the proverbial ball rolling again)  
><strong>

**I don't own X-Men Evolution.**

_Mon chere,_

_I've been looking at the stars a lot lately. They're beautiful- about as bright as I've ever scene. Even the moon seems bigger and brighter here chere. I'll lasso it down for you mon amor. Just say the word and it's done. None of it compares to you though- don't roll your eyes, you know I mean it. I miss your pretty face. Sometimes I just get caught up thinking about the color of your eyes: perfect emerald green._

_It's good to know you're well. I miss your voice though. I sound all love struck now don't I? It's okay. I'm not embarrassed. _

_Tell Pete I said hey and the Chaton hello, and thanks for keeping my lady company. _

_I send all my love chere,_

_Remy E. LeBeau._

Rogue never shifted her head left. She focused on the white board, her desk, the window, even Mr. Hoyt. Anywhere but him. Seriously. Anywhere.

"Hey Rogue," he said. She ignored him. "Hey, Rogue. Rogue? Rogue-anator, hey?"

"What?" she finally snapped, slamming her black Papermate pen on the hard flat desk.

"I wasn't late today." He smirked.

"You want a pin or something?" She hissed. It was like sitting next to a child. A lanky, snotty, back-talking child. "Why am I even talking to you Pietro. I hate you."

His brow furrowed; a frown polluted his sharp features. "I'm sorry Rogue."

"Excuse me?" She folded her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged. "Like about what I said at dinner the other night. It was uncalled for."

Taken aback by the apology, not sure if he was sincere, she tilted her head, studied him. He looked honest enough.

"Fine." She shrugged, returning to her worksheet. That was all well and good- that he was sorry- but she didn't really care much. "But why now? Why not in front of your stupid band of morons?" She retorted after thinking about it. Not that it was important enough to think about- the worksheet was just unfathomably dull.

He shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

"Fine." She snapped. "But I still don't like any of you."

Brrrring.

The bell rang.

Rogue sifted through the bustling hall. Kitty, in a light pink cardigan and denim knee length shorts, shifted books in the pale tan locker.

"He said sorry," Rogue spat, swapping history for lit.

"Who?" Kitty flipped through her aqua binder.

"Pietro." Rogue rested the heavy rectangle on her hip.

Kitty snapped up from the slew of papers. "He what?"

Rogue nodded, scrunching her eyebrows.

"I told you my theory," Kitty said as they weaved through the halls.

"Impossible." Rogue shrugged. "There's no way."

"Whatever." Kitty sang.

Rogue rolled her eyes. There was no way right?

Later

Rogue swayed over the slate walkway; she'd spent a majority of her time there in the last couple months. She wanted the memories, wanted the feeling, wanted the resonance of his presence.

The roses and daffodils, grass and magnolias; she skimmed her fingertips on the golden petals of the tulips. She inhaled. He took her here several times while they were getting it together, and the small savored time they were together.

"_I love you," he had said with an honest smile._

_"What?" she said, a confused crescent on her lips.  
><em>

_"I love you." He repeated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I never thought I'd meat the woman who could make me say it but, you, you got me." He kept smiling, but was that... nervousness? "I know it sounds crazy but..."  
><em>

_"Remy," she stopped him. Slight pain squeezed her chest; what she felt obligated to say hurt her. "I don't... I don't even know how this could work. I can't..." she swallowed, throat dry. "I can't even touch you." Her voice leveled off to a business tone.  
><em>

_"It doesn't matter." he took her gloved hands in his. "I'm not worried about it."  
><em>

_"I am." She stared at him.  
><em>

_"Do you love me?"  
><em>

_"Remy."  
><em>

_"Just answer. Do you love me?"  
><em>

She cringed at the memory of his former self. She picked a fuscia daisy. Its lime green stem twirled in her gloved hand; the petals pulled off easily.

_He loves me._

_He loves me not._

_He loves me._

_He loves me not._

Until a whirl of air sped past her.

"Hey." He said in his hyper fast voice.

"Don't ruin it here too," she side stepped and hurried inside. Couldn't she get away from him?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know, I know: I am a lousy good for nothing, who can not update in a timely manner to save her life. (KurrtyKietroLover: alas! your disappointment is well warranted! have mercy- it was a really intense semester. In exchange for your forgiveness [for all you very patient readers' forgiveness, really], there shall be a marathon of typing/updating. Do we have an accord? Maybe? Please?)**

**I don't own X Men Evo.**

_Mon Chere,_

_The sun should go chide late school boys. You know how I feel about mornings._

_I miss you mon amor._

_And I would tell you everything but its... complicated. Just sit tight. Everything will be okay. I didn't make you any promises I didn't intend to keep. It'll be better this way. _

_I love you._

_Remy E. LeBeau_

Even he didn't believe the words as he pressed the pen to the page; he didn't like keeping things from her, but how could he tell her this?

She'd kill him.

And then bring him back to life with some crazy southern voodoo, so she could kill him again.

Worse: she would leave him.

In his rough, half gloved palm, he rolled the half used tube of strawberry vanilla lip balm. He skimmed a finger over the lipstick stain she'd left by her name on the last letter she wrote him. And then he remembered.

_"Just answer: do you love me?"_

_She paused: in a split second admitting it to him, and to herself, her feelings for the first time._

_"Then I promise, it doesn't matter; I'm not going anywhere; I won't be how I was."_

Chills spread in his body as he remembered her, remembered that garden. He rubbed his tired face, his strained eyes, his tightened jaw. How could it be 'better this way?"

It was selfish. But he couldn't change it. There just had to be a way...

* * *

><p>Rogue didn't like the whole 'better this way' thing. Could he be any more vague? And come on- that was a little trite. She simmered in her puddle of 'I'm annoyed right now' until she got to history and the puddle turned into a pool and the simmer, a boil.<p>

Sure he'd apologized- but just his presence bugged her. The way he swaggered into class (annoying); his slouchy too-cool-for-school posture (annoying); the way he scribbled his notes (really annoying).

So she sat with her arms folded, back too rigid to be comfortable.

He hadn't said anything to her since the garden incident, and that was almost three weeks ago- he just irked her.

Mr. Hoyt rambled infront of the room. When about 85% of the class zoned to the pleasant land of anywhere-but-this-class, he took a scuffed, beaten, gnarled excuse for a yard stick and smacked the white board; the disjoint teens jolted up to startled attention.

"Class," The single syllable from his vocal chords dulled the class again. He hit the white board again. WHACK! Even the people in Bio down the hall woke up for that one. "We are going to have a little project," (Groans). The teacher raised his hand again for silence. "Don't worry. You'll have three months, and you'll get to work with a partner," (cheers) "That I will assign to you." (more groans).

No. Rogue tensed in her seat. No no no. If he does this the way he usually does...

"You and you. You and you. And..."

No no no.

"You and you." He pointed to Rogue, then Pietro.

She could have died.

For a second, she wanted to.

* * *

><p>"Can you believe he paired us up?" Rogue, pulling her sleeved arm across her chest, spat.<p>

"Yeah." Kitty said mindlessly.

"Of all the people," Rogue ranted. She knew there was a 99% chance Kitty tuned out several sentences ago, but it didn't stop her. She needed to seethe for a moment. "Of all the idiotic jerks in that class- he thinks he's so witty because he can talk fast."

"Maybe we should do this another time," Kitty mumbled "Ya know cause like-" she waved her hand in the air. "It's getting all hot and grossie and you're-"

"No way Kit," she bounced in place, fueled by her growing bitterness. "I'm ready. I'm so down. I need to go."

"Well like, isn't the whole DR sessions four times a week enough to like, stay in shape?" Kitty said, wishing she could suddenly sprout an allergy to sweat.

Rogue glared at her; she crouched to the rough sand of the blazing track. In a cat-like motion, she lifted to a dead sprint. Whether Kitty stayed or not didn't really matter (though this ridiculous idea was hers in the first place). Rogue was running from more than bad cardiovascular health- she was running from a terrible partner and memories of an absent boyfriend.

Too bad one of them caught her.

"You can't out run me chere," he'd snickered.

"Remy. Do not. I'm not playing." She said, her serious town contracting as he tackled her to the ground.

"Stop running Rogue." His playfulness faded. "I'm not afraid."

"I am." She said as he held her wrists to the ground.

"Trust me." He leaned down to touch his lips to hers...

Her pace quickened until her heart hurt, and then until it hurt so bad she couldn't feel it.

**A/N: Fear not faithful readers- you have my word, this story will be finished by the end of this summer. Wish me luck!**

**Thanks so much for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: don't own X Men Evolution

_Mon chere,_

_I hope it's beautiful wherever you go. Someone as lovely as you should be somewhere equally as lovely all the time. At least I think so. I had a dream about you. The first day I tried to touch you. Remember that? It was so real. You were so real. To wake up without you is to wake up truly alone._

_I'll be back for you Chere. I love you._

_Remy E. LeBeau_

Rogue huffed at the oak table in the empty library. Late late late, she scowled, tapping her foot on the short charcoal carpet. How did one with super speed have such a problem about being tardy? She ripped open an encyclopedia, smacking the thin crinkley pages against each other. She hated late; she had a thing about promptness.

A sudden wind flipped her page, fluttered her hair. Quicksilver spun into the seat across from her.

"Sorry I'm-"

"You're late." She snapped, flipping back to the correct page. "You're also conceited." Tilting her head, she glared. "And rude." Her hands tented on the shiny desk under her. A sarcastic smile sprouted on her face. "And annoying."

He shrugged.

"And I really" she exhaled"really" her brows rose, "don't want to work with you.

"You make it sound like you're such a peach." he leaned back in his chair, balanced on two legs. "You weren't my first choice either sweetie."

"I'm not from Georgia," she gritted her teeth in a smile. "And don't call me sweetie." Kicking him under the table so he fell from his precarious position, she snickered as he flew to his feet.

"What's your problem?"

"What's yours?"

"I'm serious." He steeped toward her, his voice well above library appropriate.

"Well," she tapped her chin "One, you were late. Two, you're kind of a jerk."

"You don't even know me."

She almost flinched, but refused to back down. "I don't have to." Words familiar to the tongue...

"_Come on cherie," he smiled. "How can you say no?" He reached for her hand. "You don't even know Remy."_

_"I don't have to," she snatched her hand back. "I know your type: chase whatever comes your way, until you find something you can't have, and you get all obsessed, just so you can use it, lose it, and move on to another one," she shook her head. "Actually, I know you quite well Gambit."_

_"Just one chance chere," he stared at her, intent. "Really get to know me. Remy won't give up until you do."_

Rogue shook her head, like that could dissolve the memory of him.

"Whatever," he threw his arms up. "I don't care if you know me. I don't care if you hate my guts. For now, we need to work together."

Literally, she bit her tongue. Glaring at his hardened face, she wouldn't back down, but neither would he.

"Fine." Her jaw clenched, and she plopped to her seat like a child. She cracked the pages from side to side amidst the shrill silence. He stared at her. "What?" she spat, then changed her tone to a sarcastic charm. "Or are you just admiring my beauty?" Mascara coated eyelashes batting together, her eyes cut through him.

"Actually, yes."

That shut her up real quick. Not knowing what to say, ever darkening blush burning in her cheeks, her eyes went back to the encyclopedia. He smirked, having played his trump card (without realizing, he had meant what he said). For a second, he was just satisfied to have put her out.

"If you work separately, it isn't a group project," he scoffed after a minute of her floundering.

"We're in the same room aren't we?" she murmured, continuing to outline the Plessy vs. Ferguson portion of the encyclopedia.

Slight pause.

"Well, if we aren't working together I don't see the need for these stupid meetings." He grabbed his grey book bag. "I'll just do half and you'll do half and we'll slap it together later."

"Uh, no." She grabbed his wrist. "I want to be sure you're doing the work."

He smirked at the contact; she threw his hand down.

"You don't trust me?"

"No. I don't." She said, nodding at the seat across from her. he reluctantly scraped the chair along the floor. He slouched. She shoved a heavy book at him. They worked.

She's... irritating. He glanced up from the book without moving. And yet... he meant what he said about her being pretty (even if he only said it to get under her skin) and he'd always been one for a challenge.

Rogue slammed her book shut. Every second here I lose function in another brain cell. She stood "I have to go." As if she didn't make that clear. "Be here again Wednesday- and be on time."

Pietro rolled his eyes- he flicked his wrist in a flippant get-out-of-here motion. She saunter-stomped out the door. He peeked up from the book, just to sneak a glance (he was only human). He could see why the Cajun was into her- she was alluring in a no-nonsense, angry, I'd probably like to kill you way. But she was opinionated and willful and stubborn- and who wants that when they're just looking for a flavor of the month?

So why was he watching her?

He could describe it in a single, trite cliche: it was the thrill of the hunt.

Or maybe, he really dug all the stuff that was infuriating about her.

Who knows?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I don't own X-Men Evo

_Mon Chere,_

_It's like every second I'm away from you time stretches out, longer and longer. The weeks are passing like years. I think I'm getting a little bit crazier by the second. (I know what you're thinking: is that even possible? Well yes, yes it is.)_

_I'm sorry I can't write to you more mon amor. Please know that I'm doing my best. Believe me when I say you are always on my mind, even when it seems like I haven't been writing enough or I've been gone forever or whatever it is- just remember, our love is more than that. More than time and distance. We've been through a lot, too much for this to bring us down, enough for you to know I'm with you, even if I'm not. Whenever you feel alone, go ahead and give this a read._

_I'll be with you._

_All my love,_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

He shot upright in the lumpy matress with a jolt. The memory of her was so clear...

_"Trust me," he leaned down to touch his lips to hers._

_She tried to recede back into the grass. "Please don't," her eyes wandered away from him. "Please don't touch me."_

_Lifting a patient hand through the ends of the white streak in her hair, he watched her. "Don't be ashamed, Rogue," he said. "I'm not afraid."_

_He kissed her for a half second before passing out._

The dream had occurred several times. On his right, a concealed picture of Rogue, with a full white rose in her hair, laid flat against the nightstand. He looked to his left, where the pretty, wanton blond splayed herself out on her side of the bed. His chest throbbed- and not in a good way. Stumbling to the bathroom, he splashed water on his face.

A set of drained scarlet eyes looked back at him.

There was still time. The actual date wasn't that far no, but he could make it work. He would have to try.

* * *

><p>Several weeks passed since the actual project had been assigned. Rogue was surprised at how smoothy things went between the spiteful pairing- he did his share, she did hers, they kept silent. She was also surprised at his ability to refrain from speaking. He was smart too, in spite of his too-cool-for-school persona.<p>

"You're late," surprised at the lack of malice in her voice, she didn't look up from her papers. "Again."

"Can I ask you something?"

"If you must," in a rare moment of tolerance, she gave him the 'this better not be stupid' look.

"What is it with you and being on time?"

"What?" She rolled her eyes. "I just like being prompt. It's courteous, not that you'd know anything about that."

"Maybe I'm just not so uptight."

"I'm not uptight."

"A little," he smirked.

She scowled.

"You don't know me, Pietro."

"You won't let me try." He shrugged. She folded her arms, done with the conversation. She picked up her pen again.

"You know what I think?" He said after observing her for a moment.

"I didn't you know you could think," she said, with a tinge of playfulness.

"I think the whole uptight angry girl thing is an act."

"Oh really?" She set the pen down, leaning back in her seat with half-mocking interest. But there was the other half- that kind of wanted to know what he intended to say. Not that she would admit it.

"I think under all that makeup and hostility you're hiding."

"And what might I be hiding, Freud?" Rolling her eyes, she stayed level.

"That you're pretty and smart and you have real, actual feelings, like everyone else. And that you might actually be _nice_, but you see that as weakness. So you hide." He tilted back triumphantly.

At first, she scowled, bordering on indignant, but then, her face softened to confusion: there was a compliment in there somewhere. She sucked back the cruel comment on her lips, and replaced it with a simple mirrored question. "Well what about you?" She studied him. "Under all that cocky, self-absorption and skirt-chasing, are you just another tortured soul looking for love?" It was only half sarcastic.

"Maybe," he shrugged. Lurching back from the table, he met her deep green eyes. "I can't stay. I have basketball practice."

When he was half way to the door, he turned back. "It wasn't a diss. Just so you know."

She nodded curtly. For the first time, they reached an awkward understanding. Was it possible, maybe, that they weren't so different?

Later

Rogue flopped down on her bed. "Kitty?"

"Yeah?" The perky brunette answered as she shuffled through her draws. What to wear tomorrow?

"Do you think I'm the person I act like?" She rolled to her side, an eggplant pillow stuffed under her.

"What does that mean?" Kitty crinkled her brow as she set down a ruffled baby-pink blouse.

"Like," Rogue's eyes roamed around the room. "Like do I put up a front?"

Kitty stopped, pivoting toward the bed. "Well like, I kind of think most people do you know? And like, I think you're pretty honest, like ya know?"

"So that's a yes?" A skeptical look emerged on Rogue's face.

"No! Like- like," searching for the right term, Kitty shook her head. "Like, I just think you've been through a lot so like, you protect yourself."

Jaw hardened, eyes thoughtful, Rogue nodded. Slightly irked that he would be the one to bring this up with her, more irked that he might be right, but predominantly irked that she wasn't irked enough to ignore what he said, she locked eyes with Kitty.

"What?" Kitty stepped back.

"Kit, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure, anything." No longer fearing her friends unpredictable wrath, Kitty flopped down on the bed.

Rogue stood, grabbed her jacket, and opened the door. "Good," she smiled a tiny bit at the corners of her mouth. "I'll explain on the way."


	13. Chapter 13

_Mon Chere,_

_I've been thinking about you a lot, as usual. The time you and I went camping with Loggie. Do you remember that? Not to get all sappy, but I've never seen you look prettier. You're always beautiful to me cherie. And not just to look at. You're kind (even when you pretend not to be), funny, intelligent, tough, willful, stuborn- all the things I look for in a woman;)_

_I adore you, mon amor. All my love,_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

Remy flipped his staff open and shut- just one of the many ways he blatantly displayed his lack of fear for authority. Water blazing from the faucet like acid, Belladonna shrieked from the bathroom. A smirk crept up his face- he couldn't help it really- she was just so easy to set off. She rampaged out of the bathroom. At the sight of her unpainted face, a shudder rolled through him. _Bell definitely ain't a morning person._

"Remy I swear! Could you take our wedding-"

"Fake wedding. Fake," he chimed.

"Fine. Our 'fake' wedding seriously for five minutes?" Her face seethed a deep red, but all he could see was what she looked like without makeup (and it was not pretty). Not like Rogue. As her rant raged on, he got lost in another flashback.

_A chuckle glittering on her lips, she sat in the grass. She was self-conscious, he could tell, without her makeup and closet and flat iron. But there was no need to be._

_"Logan is a cruel counselor." She continued to laugh. Unable to resist, he leaned over to kiss her. As she turned her face, his brow furrowed. "Not now." Shoving his face away with a gloved hand, her laughing stopped._

* * *

><p>The library door flew open.<p>

"Sorry I'm-"

"You're late." Pietro quipped. And then he turned to face her. "Whoa. What happened to you?"

Blush filled her cheeks. Tucking her hair behind her ear, her arms folded over her chest.

"You look-" he was about to smart off to her, but found himself speechless, which often leads to saying all there is left to say: what he was actually thinking. "You look great."

Her hair, glossy from the blow-out Kitty had insisted on, looped down in smooth waves to her shoulders. She wore a fitted plumb blouse and jeans, but it was the makeup that really looked different- lighter, softer.

She eased into a cushy maroon chair, blinking at him. Awkward.

"I actually didn't know you were this pretty."

Rolling her eyes, she pulled out a text book. There was a compliment in there somewhere.

They settled into their work, just as usual. But then something _un_usual happened. They started to talk- like not just sarcastic hostile banter. Conversation.

"Why the change of wardrobe?" He said, smacking his pen down and putting his arms behind his head. She gave him the 'why did you stop working' look. "Come on," he heaved a sigh. "He gave us months to work on a project that should take two weeks."

Setting down her materials, she shrugged. "It was just time for a change."

With a small smile, he nodded. "What do you like Rogue?" His seat teetered on two legs. "What are you into?"

She shrugged. "I like flowers."

"Don't most girls?" He said with a playful scoff.

"You asked. I told you." Her hair fell in her face. Faster than she could think to stop him, he swept it from her face, careful not to touch her skin.

"You really do look nice," he said. "You know, this might count as an actual conversation?" Unaware, they shared a half smile.

"Thank you," her chair ground across the floor. "But I think that might be my cue to leave." Her heels dropped against the floor as she sauntered off.

"See you around, Rogue," he whispered as she left. _Flowers it is then..._

**A/N:Really short, I know. But I rewrote it a bunch of times, only to remain unsatisfied with it, and this was the lesser of several evils.**

**If you're out there, it would be awesome if you could like... review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So I've run out of pre-written material... which is why this took so long. Sorry!**

**I don't own X Men Evolution**

_Mon Cherie,_

_Don't look so glum my dear. It'll come to an end soon, I know it. It'll all work out. Promise._

_All my love,_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

It was all coming to an end all right- but he couldn't tell if it was a light at the end of the tunnel, or just the oncoming train.

So, he kept it short, the lying, at a minimum.

* * *

><p>Things had officially got strange: Bobby had not caused an incident in over a month (not that that is relevant to this story; it is, however, relevant to the lack of normalcy going on) Rogue was not wearing her Gothic makeup, and was she... actually being civil with Pietro? Impossible. Unthinkable. Incredible. And yet...<p>

When he wasn't being an arrogant imbecile, she would almost say he wasn't _so_ excruciatingly awful. Almost. _Almost_.

"How was your day?" He'd started showing up on time, a miracle in itself. In more recent times, he'd taken to sitting next to her, rather than across from her.

"Fine," she said. "Yours?"

Normal conversations, like normal acquaintances. Like they had reached an unspoken understanding, or something of a truce. Not that either of them would say so. The universe might collapse if they admitted to attempting to be decent to one another.

"We're almost done with this, you know," he said, slower than normal, hiding a frown that threatened to expand. If they stopped working like this, there was no guarantee this civility (or proximity) would endure. And he was sorry for that. Because what he wouldn't say, or even let himself think, really, was that he might actually like her, sincerely.

"Finished," she said with a smirk. "Finished with it." Her arms folded over herself playfully. "It isn't a turkey."

"Oh ha-ha," he rolled his eyes. Really, she was a gem.

"Are you going to miss me?" She snorted.

"Yeah," he scoffed. You have no idea...

Shifting in her seat, she adjusted the black gloves around her fingers. Grasping at a different subject, he forced a cough.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Since when do you ask before you feel the need to bug me?" She smirked.

He sighed.

"Ask." Tipping her book closed, it slid across the table to reside by the stacked encyclopedias.

"Why do you wear those?" He said, pointing at her gloves.

Her face contorted to the 'are you an idiot?' position, but that didn't seem to bother him.

"Uh," she shifted in her seat. "I don't know, maybe it's because I can suck the life out of people when my skin touches theirs." Shrugging, she attempted to laugh it off and fumbled through the first book she could grasp.

"But you can touch,"

"What?" Her nose wrinkled. Clearly, he was confused. Which confused her. Which confused him more. Which made this whole topic very confusing. "No," she shook her head. "I still can't touch."

"Then what about Gambit?"

Oh dear. We're going to go there.

"That's complicated."

"I've got time."

Her eyes narrowed, and she examined him. There were two people who knew about this. One of them was Kitty, because that nosy kid made it her business to know business, and, being that Rogue had a choice between _telling_ her and letting her find out on her _own... _well, that had just been the lesser of two evils. The other was the Professor, and that was because it was a "breakthrough" that might better help them understand her powers.

Did she really want to add Pietro to that limited list?

She probably could have told him to leave well enough alone, that she didn't want to talk about. He probably would have shrugged it off, gone back to finishing up what little was left of their project.

Instead, she stared at him for a long second and formulated the words.

"It's complicated," she said over again. "We don't really... understand it," that was true. She was telling the truth. "But it's _just_ Remy. The Professor seems to think it's partly because our powers compliment each other," tucking her hair behind her ears, she sat a little straighter. "He manipulates energy, I absorb energy- it more or less evens out."

"But... you don't think that?" Pietro slouched back in his seat and studied her.

"It makes sense," she shrugged.

"But you don't buy it."

"I believe it partly." She should stop now. Shut her mouth and let it go. She'd already told him more than she ever would have.

"What's your theory?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to think," her voice petered out. "Just seems to convenient. Like fate or something, that it would be him." Hot blush flowered in her cheeks.

"Do you think," he spoke slowly- well, slowly for him. "That could happen with any one else?"

Glancing up, green eyes veiled by dark lashes, she could swear he was a lot closer than he had been a few seconds ago. A _lot_ closer. Her mouth felt sticky. This was the closest he'd ever been to her. It might not be so bad...

Her phone buzzed. Snap. Back to reality.

"I don't know," she muttered. Frantic, her books toppled into her bag. "I'm late to meet Kitty." Stumbling out the door, she couldn't get out fast enough.

He watched her go.

**A/N: Snap! I think I might have almost just gotten a little scandalous with this one!**

**I didn't realize it, but this is winding down (at least I think=p) just a few more chapters and all will be complete!**

**Thanks for sticking with this story (if you have). Hope this update was okay! Please please please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: GUYS! Thank you so much for all the reviews! My readership is the best!**

**(prepare for lots of dialogue in this chapter...)**

**I do not own X Men Evolution**

_Mon Chere,_

_Remember how I promised I would be better for you? I'm working on that. Don't lose faith in me yet. You're one of the few people who was willing to invest it in me- your faith. I'm trying to prove you right. We've been through worse. I can't think of anything right now, but I know we have._

_Just a little more time._

_Don't give up on me yet, Rogue. Please, not yet._

_All my love,_

_Remy E. LeBeau_

"We've got problems."

"I know," Kitty rolled her eyes, holding a peach blouse up to her torso, and then a navy blue dress with white polka dots. "Neither of these are complimenting my skin tone."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Bigger problems than that."

Wrinkling her nose in the mirror, Kitty swiveled toward her friend.

"I think Pietro just tried to kiss me."

"What?"

"I don't know." Rogue shook her head. Wavy auburn hair brushed against her fair cheeks. "Or he was thinking about or something."

"What?"

"I don't know." Gloved hands dragged down her face as she flopped down on her bed. Like the tingling falling-asleep sensation you get from sleeping on your arm too long, her head felt like it was buzzing.

"Oh my gosh."

"It's not like I could help it." She said from behind closed eyelids.

"Oh my gosh."

"Maybe I'm delusional," Her finger raked through her hair, repeatedly. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into it."

"Oh my gosh!"

"What?" Rogue shot up straight.

"You wanted him to!" Kitty's petite hand slapped over the pink 'o' forming on her lips.

"What?" Blush incarnadined Rogue's face. "No. No, I... no." Heat, uncomfortable, unreasonable, unpleasant heat, invaded her person.

"Rogue," Kitty said, her face softening. "Did you?"

"I don't know." In a vague gesture, she through her hands up. She sincerely wasn't sure. In all honesty... "Maybe?" With the word, her insides ached. The truth was, he'd been gone a _long_ time. The letters were getting sparse, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't being honest with her.

"It's okay," Kitty, seeing the internal conflict, grabbed one of her friend's hands. "I mean, if you did," she took a seat on the bed next to Rogue. "I pass no judgment." Looking out the window, she slowed her speech. "He has been gone for a really long time..." Forcing the corners of her mouth to turn up, Kitty mustered the best sympathetic look she could, because that's what you do for your friends. "But, in fairness to Remy, think about this. If you're really unhappy, you owe it to him to be honest."

Swallowing, she nodded. She had a lot of thinking to do- or at least, so she thought.

* * *

><p>Remy waited in yet another over stuffed waiting room. He felt like he'd been doing this quite a bit lately. It was growing tiresome. From behind a heavy, dark-stained oak door, Jean Luc swaggered forward.<p>

"Negotiations went well?" Anxious, Remy stood up. Having given up on taking Bella's word for it, he took matters into his own hands. That is, he asked his adoptive father to find another way to forge an alliance between the guilds- that is, one that did not involve him marrying a venomous witch.

"Fantastic," Jean Luc smacked his hands together, rubbing them together like it was cold.

"So I can go home?" Remy almost couldn't believe it."

"No, no. Not exactly," Jean Luc continued to smile. "_But_, the good news is that we've moved the wedding date up."

"What?" In total disbelief, Remy's brow furrowed, failing to see how that was good news.

"This way, we'll all get this over with, and we'll all be able to go about our lives."

"We?" Remy shook his head. "Our?" His eyes glowed a dangerous red. "I fail to see where the _we_ is in this."

Placing a heavy hand on Remy's shoulder, Jean Luc drew a serious tone. "We're family, Remy. We look out for each other."

Remy found himself unable to respond.

"You agreed to this. It was never a problem before. You knew-"

"That was before."

"Before what?" Jean Luc's brow wrinkled. "Is this about that mutant girl?"

The smirk on his face made Remy tear a whole on the inside of his cheek.

"Listen to me: forget about her. She's nothing like you. And you won't ever be nothing like her." Shaking his head, Jean continued. "Stick with Bella. She's like you. Got similar interests."

"What if my interests have changed."

Jean Luc snorted. "You really think they accept you there? That you belong with them- running around, trying to save the world- like you're going to make up for everything you've done?" Condescending, a smirk grew on his face. "They don't. No matter what you do- they'll always think of you as what you've done."

Remy's jaw tightened with bitter contempt.

"That girl- you really think she _trusts_ you?"

Remy hesitated, and that was enough.

"Trust me, son, she isn't worth it." Jean Luc grabbed Remy by the shoulders again. "_We_ are your family, Remy. _We_ took you in when no one else would. _Here_ is where you belong."

Crushing his teeth together, Remy held his silence. And the two walked out from the door through which they came.

* * *

><p>So this was what it had come to.<p>

Choosing between the one person who he cared for most, or the entire family that had raised him.

He loved her... more than he had ever, ever thought possible. But he'd made an agreement. And it was his duty to honor it. True, they hadn't always been the greatest, but they were the only family he had ever known.

Controlling the shaking in his hands and the ice building in his chest, he sat down to write one more letter.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I don't own X-Men Evolution**

**Super short update. But this chapter had to be alone. More to come very soon!**

She'd done her thinking- lots of it. But it wasn't really helping. Variables cluttered the path to a clear solution. There was something she needed to know first, and she couldn't go on thinking without it. So she went to the household trough of information.

"Kitty," she said, rushing down the stairs with a sudden sense of urgency. Why hadn't she thought to ask before? Was it that it seemed pointless, or that she'd trusted him enough not to need to ask. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure," Kitty said, walking past like she hadn't heard anything. "But this came for you in the mail."

"Kitty, wait-"

But she was already half way down the hall.

Well, what could it hurt? Taking the time to read one more letter.

_My dearest Rogue,_

_I'm so sorry; please, forgive me for what I'm about to say._

_I want you to know, I love you. I meant what I said to you. Every word. I thought I could find a way chere, I really did. But, events beyond my control have rendered me incapable of fulfilling my promises to you. Believe me when I say, this is the only way I know to keep from hurting you more, and the hardest thing I've ever had to do._

_This is my last letter, Rogue._

_Goodbye._

_Remy LeBeau_

**A/N: Alls I'm going to say is this: as an author, sometimes, you have to be a sadist to keep things interesting. As a reader, you have to keep in mind that it's always darkest before the dawn. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:Back to back updates. How do you like me now?!  
><strong>

**We near the end guys. Just a few more chapters...**

**I don't own X Men Evolution**

She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't feel her legs.

No. This wasn't right.

After all her waiting. After all her hoping. After all the faith she'd had in him.

This was wrong.

This wasn't happening.

Could he really be so cold? To _her_?

Hurt overwhelmed her. Then anger. She wanted to sob. To have _some_ kind of outburst. It wouldn't come. For several minutes- maybe it was hours- she sat in a haze of unexpressable pain.

"So, I was thinking we could-"

The voice first, then the person carrying it registered.

"Whoa." He said, speeding to sit next to her. "You all right?"

_Really?_ "No." She said. The letter toppled from her hand with a silent crash. Glossy tears stained her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall.

Putting the bits together, Pietro brushed her hair from her face, careful not to touch her skin.

"Rogue," his brow furrowing. "I'm so sorry." And he was surprised- he actually meant it.

But there he was- just that close again. Maybe, this wasn't that terrible. Maybe, she should've accepted that this heartbreak had been coming for a long time. Maybe, she could just rip it off like a Band Aid with a new start with a new someone... Just close enough to almost hear his heartbeat, now that she'd learned he had one.

But then her heart broke a little more. Because it wasn't _him_. It wouldn't be _him_. And she wouldn't get over that.

It might make her less lonely. She might even have feelings for him. But it wouldn't be right.

"I can't do this," she said softly, turning her face. "I'm so sorry."

Collecting herself from the floor, she hurried up the stairs. Part of the reason Remy had picked her was because she was a fighter. They'd gone through so much- she wasn't going to stop fighting now. At the very least, she intended to demand some answers.

And, again, he had to watch her go.

* * *

><p>"Kitty."<p>

Kitty snapped up from her lap top, startled. Saving her homework and folding it shut, she sat up a little straighter.

"Can I... help you?" She said, with a tone like she was addressing a frightened child.

"Yes." Rogue said. "Yes you can." She opened up her closet. Stretching up on her tip-toes, she yanked down a dusty black suitcase and started stuffing it with whatever she could rip off the hanger.

"Where... are we going?" Kitty said, giving Rogue a tentative look like she should be on tranquilizers.

"I know," Rogue heaved the suitcase up on her bed, rushing to the bathroom to fish out the essentials. "You are the nosiest person in this house. And if _anyone_ in here knows about it, it's you."

"About what?" Kitty said, slowly.

"Where did he go? What is he doing?"

She gave her roommate the stare down.

Kitty chewed her lower lip.

"Kit, if you know something, you have to tell me. I'm serious."

"I don't know what he's doing." Kitty sighed. "But I know what part of Louisiana he's in. He told Pete before he left..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know!" Kitty shrugged. "I figured you would have the return address!" Under Rogue's incredulous stare, she considered sheilding her face. "You never asked!"

Rogue rolled her eyes, finishing stuffing her disorganized bag. She could throw a fit over that later.

"How... serious is this?"

Rogue sighed, holding the letter forward in her shaking fingertips.

"Whoa," Kitty's eyes widened. _That serious_... "Well, you can't just go to Louisiana by yourself."

"Why not. He did." Rogue pulled a jacket over her shoulders.

"Well, like, how are you going to get there?"

The jet was out of the question (unfortunately).

"Plane ticket." She said, opening her phone to search for the first flight she could find.

"Um, then you better get two." Kitty said, yanking on a sweater.

"Kit,"

"Do you _seriously_ think I'm going to let you go by yourself?"

That was a no.

And anyway... she would probably be in some need of support. Heaving the suitcase over her shoulder, she sighed, tapping through her phone. "Alright. Our flight leaves in three hours."

"Um," Kitty said, similarly rolled random apparel into a bag. "Are we going to make it?" She glanced at the clock on her nightstand.

"We're going to have to."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I do not own X Men Evolution**

After getting off the plane, Kitty and Rogue navigated their way to the shady part of Louisiana, where Gambit supposedly set up his residence. Waves of nauseating, humid heat loomed over them as they worked down the street.

"Where are we even going to start?" Kitty said, dodging a slew of pedestrians in a serpentine pattern. Rogue, undaunted, plowed through them. They moved.

"We're going to talk to people."

She'd thought this out—at least a little—on the flight there. This was Remy they were talking about. At some point he had to have made some kind of scene—something big enough to get him noticed. Someone somewhere would know where he was and how to find him.

"Talk to—" But Kitty was cut off by a sudden jerk of her slender arm, as Rogue guided her into a small pawn shop beside them. "Who?" Kitty squeaked out as she passed under the dusty cluster of three round lights.

Antique guns lined the walls; weathered and polished chests and hutches and tables and dressers formed squares on the shiny wood floors; knickknacks, chunky old jewelry, and ancient china decorated table tops and the glass cases at the back of the shop.

"Can I help you?"

A young man with brown hair, tan skin, and blue eyes cleaned a shot gun that looked like it had seen the Civil War.

Putting on her best 'come hither' smile Rogue sauntered to the back of the store.

"I'm sure you can sugar." Her accent heavy and sweet, like too much molasses, she was almost making herself sick. But, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. She didn't have time to ask politely and properly—so flirting would have to do. "Do you happen to have any jewelry?"

"Certainly miss," he said, glancing over at Kitty, who was just now recovering from her confussion as he led them to a glass case to the left. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"No," Kitty shrugged, just leaning over the glass, so the light underneath reflected off her glossy lips. "Just something an old friend promised to get her."

"Oh?" The clerk said, raising his brows at both of them.

"Yeah," Rogue said, slipping a slender gold ring with lavender and pale pink jewels along her gloved ring finger. "We're actually having a little trouble locating him…"

"Well, this is a fairly small town—most everybody knows everybody." the clerk smiled a knowing half smile, winking. "Who are you trying to find?"

"Remy. LeBeau?" Rogue said—slow, like it was just casual. Which it should have been. A young lady casually asking for the whereabouts of a young man. She took the ring off, placing it back on the wine colored strip of velvet it had come from.

The clerks face sobered.

"I'm afraid I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Are you sure?" Kitty rolled her eyes. "He's pretty hard to miss—"

"I'm sure." He said. "Now, if you don't intend to make any purchases, I think it would be best if you would leave."

Great. This was going to be more difficult than anticipated. As it was, many knew that Remy was part of one the Guilds. And people who gave up members of the Guilds… well, good things didn't generally come their way thereafter. So that kind of information was given to strangers sparingly.

* * *

><p>"You know, you could have just absorbed that first guy—taken his memories and figured it out." Kitty said, after several failed attempts to get someone to spill. All the answers were the same: "We don't know who you're talking about. You should leave."<p>

"Yeah, and then I could have posted a big sign on the door declaring our presence." That would severely dampen her plans. If there was even the slightest chance he could figure out she was there, she wanted to avoid it. She wanted to sneak up on him like that letter had snuck up on her.

Kitty sighed. This was going too slow, and it was too hot.

"Cupcakes!" She said, a pink little box of a storefront leaping out at her across the street. If they were going to keep going, she needed nourishment.

"Kitty!" Ugh. Rogue chased after her through the cross walk. I do not have time for this. But, as fate would have it, Kitty was already through the shiny glass door, half way to the counter.

"Kitty. We really don't have time for this."

"I'm hungry." She said, staring at the chalkboard menu all of half a second before going up to the cashier. "Why couldn't Remy just be hanging out here? It smells yummy. He'd be surrounded by baked goods—"

Rogue was about to roll her eyes when the cashier smiled a little brighter.

"Remy—you're friends with Remy?"

Both Kitty and Rogue's eyes widened. They glanced at each other and back to the bakery employee.

"Remy?" Rogue planted her hands on the counter. "Red and black eyes, permanent trench coat, obnoxiously flirty?"

"Yes… Remy LeBeau?" The girl, with a shiny silver pin that read 'Tara, Manager' nodded. "Are you friends of his?"

"Yes." Kitty jumped in, touching Rogue's shoulder before she could frighten off their most hopeful witness. "We're friends of his."

"Oh good! Can you do us this huge favor? See, our van totally broke down on us this morning, without any warning. We've tried calling him but the number he gave us isn't any good—can you let him know his cake may be arriving later than expected?"

"You have an address?" Rogue snapped. Again, Kitty eased her away from the counter as the girl's eyes widened.

"What she means is, um," And then Kitty had one of her moments of brilliance. "We can deliver it for you."

"We can?" Rogue's brows fell inward as Kitty elbowed her in the ribs. "We can."

"Really?" The manager glanced over her bustling shop. "Well, I don't know… it might go against our store policy…"

"You can totally trust us," Kitty said with her best 'I'm trustable' smile. "We're his friends. I promise—we'd be happy to help."

The shop girl stared at her for a moment, skeptical, but definitely considering it.

"Just tell us where it needs to be, and what time it has to get there." Kitty had learned long ago that there was a single, nearly foolproof way of almost always getting what you want: insist.

The manager mulled it over for another few seconds, before pulling out a business card.

"Alright," she said, flipping the card over and jotting a note with sparkly pink pen. "But only because it is such a special occasion."

"…And what would that be?" Kitty said, taking the little white rectangle in her fingertips.

The manager's brows pinched in; she smiled like she was being punked.

"I'm sure you know—if you're his friends you must have been invited." She looked between them. "… He's getting married."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I don't own X Men Evolution**

In the front of a very full church, Remy pulled his stiff tie away from his neck. The longer he adjusted it, the more it felt like a rope; the more he struggled to tighten it, the more it resembled a noose. Sweating at his temples, he failed to ignore the sticky heat building in the sanctuary. A blood red carpet stretched down the isle, like a distilled river Styx.

At least they weren't running late. When the funeral before them started running long, nerves tensed among the wedding party. Belladonna would have experienced a fatal coronary had they been delayed... maybe he should have hoped that requiem would have dragged out a little longer.

An ocean of faces, sullen, from the heat, stared up at him. There was still time. He could still... And the organ started up, with ghastly hiss and morbid groan before blaring the march of the bride.

And there she was: enormous white dress, ruffles of tortured tulle and lace making flowers over the bloated bottom, a veil like a burial shroud over the twisted corkscrew curls burying her head.

This was it. He was really going through with this... going to marry a girl a girl named after a poison.

Like a zombie, he repeated the phrases back. Duty for now, he repeated to himself. It might not be able to be undone, but it could be repaired... if he had enough time... he hoped.

"If anyone objects to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The air stilled.

_This is it_. He held his breath.

When the double doors lurched opened.

Standing in the wedge of glistening natural light, a slender young woman stood still, words trapped on her lips. A fitted, black, tea length dress and a black blusher along her face, vaguely reminiscent of mourning contrasted her fair skin. And he couldn't breathe.

Every face turned to gawk at her, the beautiful and sullen interruption. They would have no idea who she was.

But he did.

And his heart broke and mended and broke again at the sight of her.

Bella, impossibly raged, burned a deep red in her shocked and appalled face.

Her hands shaking, in a quiet, strong voice she said it. "I object."

**(Earlier)**

"He's... what?" Rogue said, as they stepped out of the bakery.

Kitty holding the order form that would authorize her to pick up the cake in two hours, directions scrawled over the back in red ink.

"It's okay." Kitty said. Funny that she was the one not panicking. "It just means we have a wedding to stop." She started down the street.

"Kitty," Rogue grabbed her by the wrist. "I don't think we can do this."

"Of course not," Kitty shrugged, turning back around. "Not looking like this we can't."

"No, Kitty," Rogue shook her head, shocked and stuck. "I don't think _I_ can do this. What if he..."

"Rogue," Kitty held up a kind hand to stop that already dwindling statement. "Nothing can stop true love." She smiled, because that was just how it was (at least in her mind). Rogue nodded- even if she wasn't sure.

"Good." She said. "Now, we just have to make you look smoking hot so that when you upstage whoever that floozy is it'll be totally totally dramatic."

* * *

><p>Holding a pink set of boxes, Rogue and Kitty hurried to the street- needless to say, looking fierce, where they exited a cab. Traffic, being amplified by the ordeal occurring in the church. So they got out at the corner and hoofed it.<p>

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Kitty said as they stepped onto the corner, swerving her head around the boxes straining against her arms. Seriously- this wedding had to huge, like, expecting a million people huge, because there were five tiers, all weighing a hundred pounds each.

"We are," Rogue said. "But we're going to cut it close on time." The stoplight above glared a dusty red down at them. One more block to go- but if she'd gone over the round-about time-table right, the wedding would have already stared. She was right. As she took her first step, the church organ began to blare a death march loud enough for the entire block to hear.

"We gotta go." She said, rushing her way down the street. Dropping the cake boxes on the sides of the steps in front of the church, a little harder than necessary. Heels clicking up the steps, approaching the double doors, she could only hope she'd made it in time.

Parting the double doors, a rush of hot white light behind her, she demanded stillness in her limbs that would not come. Every face in the building turned toward her. Including his. Her eyes threw a line to his crimson irises.

Even if she wasn't on time, this was as good a place as any to say it.

"I object."

**A/N: Okay... so it's totally cliche, but I had to do it. You know I had to do it. If you didn't see this coming... watch more movies where the guy is about to marry the wrong girl.**


	20. Chapter 20

**"Three."A/N: AHHHH! It took me forever to put this chapter together. Hope it came out okay=/**

**I don't own X Men Evo.**

The room became a vacuum—no air, no sound. He stared at her, she back at him, while the audience and Bella looked between them. Utter silence swelled in the old church.

Until a petite brunette stumbled up through the double doors.

"Oh my gosh," the girl said, wobbling on five inch patent leather heels, slightly winded, like she'd just ran half a block and up a set of stairs with a set of hundred pound boxes. Glancing from the bride, who resembled a beet more and more with every passing millisecond, to the audience, her eyes settled on Remy with a wide eyed look. "Remy," she said, half-fried from the heat. Really? He was going to put a ring on that? That hot mess of an overdone princess? No. No way that was happening. And she had the crazy eyes. You don't mess with girls with the crazy eyes- and you certainly don't marry girls with the crazy eyes. "You can't marry her. She like, totally looks like one of those psychos who ends up on _Who th_e_ (Bleep) Did I Marry_—you know, for _murder_."

In her defense, she didn't know all that much about the Assassins Guild. Well she didn't know _anything_ about the Assassins Guild.

That was it though—Bella exploded.

"How _dare_ you!" She shrieked. "This is my wedding." Screeching like a dying bird, one of her curls toppled out of place, crashing and sticking to the perspiration on her purple temple. She opened her mouth—but before she could burst into flames, Remy turned to her, squeezing her hand, more firmly than necessary.

"I'll take care of this." He said. "Excuse me," he apologized as he slowly moved down the aisle. Bella stood beside the priest, too enraged and shocked to move.

"Rogue," he said, almost inaudible. "Can I speak with you for a second, outside."

He reached for her hand. But she snatched hers away, planting herself on her heels.

"No." She glared at him with firm green eyes. "Anything you need to say to me, you can say right here." Her nervousness disrupted her breathing as she looked around at the shocked mass around her. She didn't care if she embarrassed him. She didn't care if she embarrassed herself. Not if it meant he would come to his senses.

"Rogue," he said, matching her firmness.

"Why are you doing this?" She snapped. "Why didn't you say something?" Her chin lifted—if she was going to make a spectacle of herself, she was going to own it. She'd come all this way… Real anger and hurt boiled up in her. These were just the beginnings of her questions, and she could already feel herself boiling over. Her eyes paused as she found Jean Luc at the front of the church. "Is this about them?" She hissed. "Is this about the Guild?"

He paused, jaw tightening. "It's complicated. I have to do this."

"What?"

"They're my family," he said, looking away from her. "I have a duty to them."

"Um, hello," Kitty said, waving her hands in front of her face. "What about us?"

"Hello Kitty," he smiled at her sullenly, not at all surprised that she'd come too.

"Remy," Rogue said. "We're your family— the Professor, and Logan, and Pete, and Kitty… and me." She shook her head. "Family—family is the people who look out for you." Her eyes pleaded with him. "And home—home is where you're surrounded by people who care about you, where you belong. Isn't that us?" She was pulling him her way. She could see it in his face.

"Rogue,"

"Don't do this." Her teeth gritted together.

"I'm not like you, like the X Men," he said, broken heart in his eyes. "The Guild, they raised me."

"Them?" She scoffed. "Remy, you don't owe these backwoods leeches anything. They used you—you and your powers."

"Rogue," he said, hoping to calm the situation, as the surprise that cast a silence spell over the audience thinned.

"Do you love her?"

"It's not that simple."

"Do you?" She stepped closer to him, jaw taught and defiant.

He sighed, slowly reached forward, brushed the white part of her hair from her face. She caught his hand keeping it against her face.

"Don't you love me?" Her heart beat pounded in her chest.

"This is an outrage!" Bella regained her composure- well, maybe not _composure_ per say. More like _got over her shock_. Her tight, shiny, purpling skin strained at her temples. "You slimy little redneck-"

"Who are you calling a redneck you swamp-witch?" Rogue snapped, bobbing around Remy to give his heavily blushing bride a stare-down shake-down.

Bell stormed back down the aisle, nearly tripping over her flamboyant ensemble.

"Remy," she hissed, glancing through the congregation of guests- as if she wasn't already making a scene. "You have till the count of three to take out your trash. Or you can consider this arrangement void."

He was certain a blood vessel in her brain was going to burst at any moment.

"One."

This was it. He looked at her, this young woman, throwing a tantrum in his direction, like she had any right to threaten him.

"Two."

He looked out at his guest, the family who'd raised him, willing to let him suffer this beast for the rest of his life, to make a covenant with people they hated anyway.

A beast.

And leeches.

"Three."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: ... and the author known as sweet-n-sassy928 was all like "I'm sorry guys. I'm kind of an idiot, and I wrote myself into a hole. So I've been waiting on some magical catharsis so that this chapter would be all epic and make sense... but now I'm kind of realizing there's nothing to it but to do it. Cheers to making it happen... I hope..." **

**Still don't own Evo.**

"Three."

He blinked at her. Then he reached for Rogue's hand, her black satin glove smooth and right in his fingers.

"Consider it void." He said.

"What?" Bella squeaked like she was about to give herself an aneurism.

"I'm not going through with this."

A universal gasp, then the guests began to murmur. Jean Luc met eyes with the senior Bordeaux. The treaty, the partnership, the vast wealth the two would insure him- he could see it dissolving in front of him. Over the little mutant girlfriend. Time to run damage control. He hurried down the aisle to where Remy stood clutching her hand.

"Miss," he said, suppressing the rage expanding in him. "You're about to ruin an arrangement several years in the making."

"Uh, your arrangement sucks." Kitty said, raising her hand.

"This arrangement is Remy's duty," Jean Luc said, "And if you stop this wedding, you're going to cause his family- his real family- a world of grief."

Jean Luc glared at her, then stared down at Rogue, expecting her to fold. Rather she kept her chin up and her green eyes narrowed in a display of threatened but undaunted defiance.

"Now I suggest you go home, before you cause any more damage."

"No." She said, before he could turn around.

He grabbed her by the wrist, ready to hiss out a threat. Remy drew an ace of hearts out of his jacked pocket. It glowed in a threatening hot pink.

"Don't touch her."

They stared each other down. But, unknown to them in the midst of their tension, Bella's grandfather stood amidst the congregants. He cleared his throat, so that all the eyes in the room fell on him.

"It appears... you are backing out of our arrangement, LeBeau."

"Now, let's not be too hasty," Jean Luc raised a flat palm, still hoping to smooth this mess over.

"You know how we feel about being double crossed."

"Bordeaux." Jean Luc's eyes narrowed.

In an instant, the elderly man took a throwing knife from his belt and hurled it in a silver spinning blur. Kitty barely caught hold of Jean Luc in time to make sure the weapon phased through. An unbelieving look on his face, he stared at her.

"Don't mention it," Kitty muttered.

As the knife wiggled in the heavy wooden doors, the Assassins Guild's side of the aisle brandished a variety of weapons from dresses and purses and pockets. At which point the Thieves pulled out theirs.

And Remy sighed. He'd sincerely hoped to avoid this. But once the weapons were brandished...

Chug! Another silvery knife plunged into the heavy wooden door as Jean Luc dropped to the floor. And a battle broke out like a disease in the large Catholic church.

"You're nothing but a snake Bordeaux."

"And so the pot calls the kettle black."

Meanwhile, Remy set off a series of well-aimed charged cards at the projectiles fanning in his direction, while Rogue used her best 'Logan based maneuvers' to fend off an elderly woman with burgundy hair (let it be said, she was spry for someone of such advanced years). Those danger room sessions were actually useful.

"Don't bother deflecting those bullets," Rogue said, a stormy scowl descending on her face. "I'm just going to kill you when we're done here."

He winced. He probably deserved that... and she had her serious face... so his wedding and funeral were likely to occur within the span of a few days.

"Chere."

"Do not _chere_ me." She said, somersaulting to the floor as an arrow spun over her head. Arrows? Really? Where did they even put those things? "How could you?"

"Rogue," he said. "I wasn't going to go through with it."

She took the moment to scoff with irritated disbelief.

"I wasn't," he said. "If you didn't show up when you did, Julien was supposed to object."

"What?" she snapped.

"Julien," Remy pulled out his staff, hitting an upcoming assassin on both sides of the head. "Bella's brother. We made an agreement of our own." Remy paused, taking in a breath. "He doesn't like me much. He was going to stop the wedding."

She gritted her teeth and kept up the evasive maneuvers.

"Come on Rogue. You can't honestly think I would have gone through with this."

"You wrote that letter!" She snapped, reaching over and punching him in the side. He grunted... probably deserved that.

"Couldn't let anyone suspect," he said. "Not even you."

His eyes caught hers, just for a slight second. And it almost made her more mad that she could tell he wasn't lying.

"I'm still angry at you." She said.

And she hit him again.

He probably deserved that too.

"Forgive me?"

She didn't respond.

But then, she had just been blindsided by a ratchet blond in a tacky wedding dress.

Belladonna had her arms wrapped around Rogue's neck from behind. Using Bella's arm as leverage, Rogue flipped the little swamp witch over her head, so that Bell landed on the butt of her hideous skirt.

"You are ruining my wedding!" She squealed as Rogue pinned her to the floor.

"Nothing can ruin that tacky thing" Rogue hissed as Bella attempted to slap at her face. Assassin though she was, she was too enraged to use real combat skill at the moment, resorting to adrenaline induced cat fight moves.

But Rogue, still holding her wits, used an OLT (old Logan trick) and punched her with just enough force over the head to make her pass out. And yes, that felt good.

However, in case you were wondering, it is never good to wage war with a group of highly trained assassins. Which is why the thieves had begun to file out the church exits.

"You'll get what's coming your way, Bordeaux." Jean Luc called as he approached the double doors.

"You've by no means seen the last of us either, LeBeau."

And Remy shook his head, taking Rogue by the elbow and following Kitty out onto the street.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Since y'all have been so good... and as an apology for another lagged update... I'm doing back to back posts.**

When they walked out on the street, it was utterly... normal. No chaos, no running- not even a panicked speed walk. The members of the Thieves Guild mosied out in pairs of two, like there had just been a tea party and not a battle in the church. And Remy seemed to fit right in, setting the pace for a slow walk between Rogue and Kitty. In silence.

But that did suit Kitty.

"Really? Were you really just about to get married?"

He explained to her his plan- how he'd met with Julien shortly after Boudreax had made it clear he had no intention of budging on the forging of an alliance through marriage. How Julien had been more than willing to help Remy stay away from Bella. How they'd made a plan to stop the wedding at the last minute.

Kitty nodded with a skeptical glint in her eyes. Rogue, her stare slowly hardening, kept her tongue sealed to the bottom of her mouth against her teeth.

"What about your family?" Kitty said after a second.

Remy shrugged. "They'll be angry right now," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "But then they'll realize they never really wanted to align with the Assassins- gotta keep things competitive." He sighed. "And they'll forgive me once they need something."

Kitty sighed, because that was seriously a screwed up answer summing up a suckish family.

"Whatever." She said, rolling her eyes. "I need to pee." And she disappeared into the nearest store front. Leaving the other two alone.

"I'm sorry chere." He said, as soon as Kitty was out of hearing distance.

"Does that even begin to cover it?"

No.

He deserved that too.

He winced.

But he'd come to far to loose her now- and he knew that she hadn't come all the way out here to tell him she'd never forgive him. He was in deep, he respected that there would be consequences over this. But he wouldn't let her go. How could he?

"Do you believe I loved you."

Her jaw tightened.

"Did you?"

"Yes." She said, hurt bleeding just slightly through her anger.

"Remember how that one time, you told me that love is permanent. So either you still do, or you never did?"

"Yes." She said, just slightly softer.

"So, if you believed I loved you then, that means you think I still love you now?"

"Yes." Her arms folded over her chest. But he pried away her fingers, squeezing them in his hand like treasure he thought he'd lost.

"Do you still love me?"

"Yes." She said, as there was no point in saying anything different.

"Well don't you know chere?" He said quieter, his eyes serious and gentle. "Love can do anything." He switched his grip so that their fingers laced together.

And she stared at him for a moment. She was still mad. But there was something else. She thought about how she'd said it before- that it was something like fate. And between finding a way to forgive him and losing him, the more painful would always be the latter.

"Alright." She said. "Then love is going to have to get to work."

He leaned, ready to smooth her bangs from her face-

"Geez the line for the ladies room was long." Kitty whined, bounding up to them. Remy subtly straightened out. Kitty glanced between the two of them. "Whoa. Did I miss something?"

"Nothing," Rogue shook her head, but she left her hand in his. "But we should go home."

"Amen," Kitty said, fanning herself. "It is way too humid here."

Remy chuckled, smiling to himself. _Home_. And he was going back to it.

His real home.

**A/N: So it was really short... sorry? Needed it to be alone. Creative vision and what not. At least it was timely. And the wrap up should be posted shortly too (yes! it is in fact coming to a close!)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: OMG! Could it be?! Could it really be the long awaited ending?! (I'm probably getting your hopes up. Let's be honest: I suck at endings. I never know quite how to wrap things up. But this is my story/ending and I'm sticking to it with pride and... yeah! If you don't like it, you should have reviewed with suggestions. So there!)**

**You've waited long enough so let's get to it.**

**In all the time it's taken me to write this, I still haven't acquired the rights to own X-Men Evo.**

-Three months later-

The patch work had begun. 'Normal' didn't quite sum it up. But then, it kind of never did. They were putting it back together as best they could. And it was true: love was fixing things between them.

But there was a loose end she had yet to tie. Something she needed to take care of that had yet to be settled.

"Hey there," she said. She'd found him at their old seats at the library. How had she known he'd be there? She couldn't explain. It was just one of those feelings.

"You know, people actually come here of their own free will?" He said, drawing a slight chuckle from her. "They sit down and read and everything."

She snickered. "It's so awful, isn't it? _Reading_?"

"It is." He said, exaggerated disgust on his face.

She slid into the seat across from him, glad that he started light. It would make this easier.

"Pietro," she said. Rip it off like a Band-Aid. Just say it. "I'm sorry for-"

"You don't have to apologize." He said, his face growing instantly serious.

"I do." She said. "It's not... I didn't mean to..." She fumbled for the words, wishing she'd planned this out better.

"I liked you." He said with a slight shrug. "But you loved somebody else." He shook his head. "I can't ask you to be sorry for that."

She nodded at him. "You know, you're actually kind of decent."

"Kind of?"

She nodded.

And even though she knew she shouldn't ask- that it would absolutely be the worst possible thing she could say...

"Can we-"

"Yes." He said with a sullen smile. "We can be friends."

"Thank you," she smiled, standing to go.

And, bittersweet, but settled, he watched her leave.

* * *

><p>"Aye chere," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.<p>

At first, she didn't respond, not paying attention.

"I can't believe you were going to marry that beast."

He didn't laugh, or smile, in spite of that fact that he knew she was joking (well, he was 98% sure she was 98% joking).

"I wasn't going to."

"Mmmmhmmmm," she nodded, digging in the guilt as much as she could. Was she milking this a little too much? Maybe. But you would too.

"I wasn't." He said, tilting up her face. "You know the only person I'd ever be fool enough to marry is you."

She rolled her eyes. "How flattering."

"I'm serious." He said, taking her knuckles and setting them against his lips. "Someday mon cherie."

A smile crept up her face.

"It's good to have you back Remy."

"Good to be back." He kissed her temple. "Rogue,"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

She scooted closer to him, so that her side touched his.

"I love you too."

**A/N: It's done. I can't believe it's done.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed! You guys are the best! -special thanks to wolf skater, song of a free heart, lovely smile and all other regular reviewers! Kept me going, even when I was totally sticky stuck! and kurtty kietro lover (if you are still reading my dear) major thanks for kicking my butt back in gear.**

**You guys are the best. xoxo**

**S2 s-n-s**


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